Verdict: 7/10 — Play it!
60 Parsecs! is an adventure/strategy game released in September 2018 by Poland-based developer Robot Gentleman for Windows and Mac OS.
I became a fan of this developer, Robot Gentleman, from the first minute of playing their previous game, 60 Seconds!
I happened upon 60 Seconds!, on a freezing winter day when the cold was almost as bad inside as it was out. To stay warm and amused, I scrolled through YouTube’s selection of entertainment and came across a video of gameplay of “60 Seconds!” The visuals were interesting, and I held out hope that this title might be exactly what I needed to pass a chilly, less-than-exciting day. So I took a chance and started playing, and found myself enjoying the apocalyptic simulation gameplay and laughing at the weird, comical events unfolding as the story developed.
Having loved the first game, the release of 60 Parsecs! revived the urge to jump in and experience this second entry by this unique development team. But would 60 Parsecs! Be as enjoyable as their first game? Let’s find out!
60 Parsecs Launch Trailer:
OVERVIEW:
60 Parsecs! is an adventure / strategy game that takes place in deep space. The game begins as you attempt to escape a local space station (your home) that had an unfortunate encounter with a nuclear warhead sent from earth.
The first phase of the game consists of a countdown to collect as many items and crew members as you can for the escape. Quick! Gather all the items you can and shove them into an escape pod, because if time runs out… BOOM! You’re space dust!
Did you make it? I hope so! If you were fortunate enough to survive, you have a long way to go as you journey through the vast cosmos on your way to find a place to live. Hopefully, you’ve gathered enough raw materials to survive the vacuum of space, because resource management is a big part of this game; you’ll need to use all of your resources to keep your crew from starving, repair your ship, and craft new items. Careful now! As Captain, your decisions could be the difference between life and death.
GAMEPLAY:
The object of 60 Parsecs! is to survive long enough to reach a habitable planet and survive. The game takes place almost entirely in the main room of your escape pod, allowing you to check on the status of each of your crew members and attend to their needs. As time passes and each day begins, you have a new situation to face and new decisions to make. Each decision could make your venture across the stars better or worse.
For example, feed yourself or feed your crew? Morale suffers with one choice and your health suffers with the other. And what happens if one of your crew gets sick? Do you hope he gets better and risk him infecting the rest of your crew . . . or toss him out the airlock!
This game is all about reactions to the unexpected things that happen while onboard the ship. And this game is full of humor! Craft a sock puppet to improve morale. Or you may choose to become friends with a family of mutant cockroaches that lives on board. (The Petersons, as they’re called).
To further complicate the decision-making mechanics, it is possible to meander toward other planets which have their own plights to overcome, which can create big problems for you and your crew but might result in the gathering of much-needed supplies if you risk it.
But wait! Just when you think things are going well, a piece of equipment breaks at the worst possible moment, triggering an emergency repair. No matter how many times I went to land on a planet, I almost always broke my console communicator! (a tool used to communicate with life-forms beyond the ship.) GAH! Repair it in your crafting station.
While strategy and survival are a big part of 60 Parsecs!, the developer intends for the player to focus on the relationships of the crew members as well. Over time, you’ll notice your party go through various changes. They will look sick, or sad, or they may just go insane! Crew members can become overtired and require rest on-board. Injury is another risk, and then you’ll be faced with nursing them back to health with very limited resources. They will certainly get hungry as well, so better keep some canned soup in your pantry or risk losing your crew and see your team members replaced with skeletons in their seats on board.
The crafting system is designed to be simple and quite forgiving. You’ll use this to form items you’ll need for the day’s challenges. Adding to the fun is the ability to do expeditions while on planets in order to get raw materials or find a place to live (which, incidentally, is the point of the game!)
ENVIRONMENT:
60 Parsecs! has a very cool 50’s and 60’s overtone to draw you in and keep you coming back for more. The art style is vibrantly cartoonish and plays homage to many cartoons and animated series with which most of us are familiar. This plays heavily in favor of the game, providing comic relief over the sometimes dark plot-twists.
I found myself experiencing many emotions during my gameplay. At times the loneliness of space and seeing the same four walls day after day made me feel as though I was right with the crew going crazy and hungry. Luckily, the game is both dynamic enough to keep your interest tied to the next obstacle and funny enough to help you deal with each perplexing challenge.
The planets you visit also add to the overall ambience and mystery of the game. For example, one planet is a desolate desert wasteland – covered with cows statues! Another is just like earth, war-ridden, and apocalypse driven. Truth be told there are many oddities hidden beneath the surface of the game, and all of them add to the experience.
CHALLENGES:
Although there are no “boss battles” in this game, in some ways you are the “boss” with which you battle. Success or failure is related to your ability to handle emergency situations; in most cases, common sense is the best tool to use when deciding. However, this is a game of trial and error! You will die. A LOT! But if you learn which outcomes are created by which decisions, you can make a note for future sessions to come. Since 60 Parsecs is infinitely replayable, those notes will come in handy.
CONCLUSION:
60 Parsecs! is a polished experience and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this game.
I would recommend this game regardless of the degree of difficulty and a few minor annoyances. After all, a little challenge is always welcome!
The art style is delightful, and the dialogue is witty, with many variations. The gameplay takes emphasis from crafting and places it on enjoying the relationships of interesting characters.
The developers obviously put a great amount of effort into creating a brilliant combination of text-based adventure game and story driven point-and-click narrative.
If you like journeying through space and are ok with making mistakes, 60 Parsecs! might be the game for you.
You will die often. You will eat soup. That is all. Carry on!
RATING:
Game Factor — 7/10
Look Factor — 7/10
Friend Factor — N/A
Jump-In Factor — 7/10
Average — 7
Verdict — Add It To The Collection! You’ll enjoy it and probably play it more than once.
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